Ethiopian pastoralists constitute 14% of the total population and have among the highest rates of poverty and the lowest human development indices. Because their income is so dependent on livestock, they are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change on the region,which will include increased poverty, water scarcity and food insecurity. This Joint Programme worked with 32,000 pastoralists in some of Ethiopia's most geographically isolated, vulnerable and impoverished areas to better adapt to climate variability and change.

Persistent drought and the rise in food prices have taken a heavy toll in Senegal: more than two million people lacked food security and nearly one in five children under the age of 5 was stunted when the Joint Programme was launched. Its aim was to lower the acute malnutrition rate of children in the five most affected regions to below the international emergency level of 10%.

Namibia has one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism sectors and its rich cultural and natural heritage offers an excellent opportunity to spur economic development and improve livelihoods. But sustainable and equitable development through tourism is being stymied by two factors: the unequal distribution of cultural resources and the non-recognition of many communities' history and cultural heritage. The Joint Programme worked to integrate culture into national development policies and programmes, targeting in particular disadvantaged indigenous groups and local communities.